Abstract
The purpose of this study was to propose requisites for education and training of caregivers in unit-type and conventional special nursing homes. For this purpose, adaptation of caregivers to the workplace was examined with respect to their manner of care giving and years of experience. In this study, a questionnaire was administered as well as a time study performed. Questionnaires were completed by 22 caregivers working in conventional special nursing homes and 36 caregivers working in unit-type special nursing homes. These nursing homes had all been established by the same corporation. The time study was made on a total of 16 caregivers (8, conventional; 8 unit-type) . Nursing homes had approved of their participation in this study. The degree of adaptation was studied with respect to years of experience and manner of care giving by the caregivers. Results of the questionnaire showed that in unit-type nursing homes, stress between less experienced caregivers and users was significantly greater than that between highly experienced caregivers and users. This result seemed to be correlated with the finding in the time study that the time spent by less experienced caregivers in caring for each user in his or her private room was significantly shorter than that spent by highly experienced caregivers, and could consequently be proposed as a requisite for education of caregivers. In conventional nursing homes as well, less experienced caregivers burned themselves out at significantly higher rates than did highly experienced caregivers. The importance of continuous educational consideration and support for new caregivers was suggested.
